The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (January 27) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in the District of Prignitz, State of Brandenburg in Germany, and Province of Ravenna, Region of Emilia-Romagna in Italy, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the above-mentioned areas with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.
A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 3 900 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 1.41 million poultry eggs from Germany, and about 1 745 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and 25 000 poultry eggs from Italy last year.
"The CFS has contacted the German and Italian authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the OIE on the avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.
Follow this news feed: East Asia